Meet The Architectural Minds Now Leaving Their Mark on The Met

When the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing first opened in 1982, it brought much-needed attention to the arts of sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and the ancient Americas, until then underrepresented fields of study. Scholarship, thankfully, has evolved and so, too, must architecture. Enter this international practice, selected to update the 40,000-square-foot galleries for the present—and future—moment. “We need to give rightful definition between each continent and among each culture,” says firm founder Kulapat Yantrasast, reflecting on the challenges of addressing so much geography and history. What had been a dimly lit sweep is now uplifted by natural light thanks to the state-of-the-art window wall, updated with fritted and filtered glass to protect sensitive objects. The collection, meanwhile, has been divided into distinct bands, with materials to distinguish each continent. Says Yantrasast, “You want the whole wing to feel integrated but give enough context to each region.” Visitors will see for themselves next year, when the space is set to reopen.